Seoul Prime is the newest from the house owners of Sincere Grill. {Photograph} courtesy Seoul Prime.
Seoul Prime. 106 Founders Ave., Falls Church.
Newer entrants to the area’s Korean barbecue scene have skewed extra towards high-quality eating, with higher-end cuts of meat and chic eating rooms. One of many newest: Seoul Prime in Falls Church, which comes from the crew behind Sincere Grill in Centreville (ranked amongst Washingtonian‘s 100 Very Greatest Eating places). The upscale restaurant options dry-aged ribeyes and American wagyu for tabletop grilling, however focuses equally on elevated fusion dishes.
“We need to undoubtedly pay homage and respect to all the meals that we grew up with and the heritage and the basic delicacies, but additionally form of bringing it into a brand new period,” says managing associate and government chef Danny Kim. The Northern Virginia native beforehand labored at Rockwood in Gainesville and Readability in Vienna.
“I’ve executed plenty of cuisines. Korean is one I attempted to keep away from simply because I didn’t need to match that stigma of being a Korean chef that solely cooks Korean meals,” Kim says. However over latest years, he’s began gravitating towards the flavors he grew up consuming at house and experimenting with fusion dishes. At Seoul Prime, he’ll mix his basic French culinary coaching with Korean flavors.
For instance, a risotto dish is topped with galbi-jjim (candy soy-braised brief ribs), crispy enoki mushrooms, and perilla-leaf chimichurri. Tteokbokki, a preferred Korean rice cake dish, as a substitute makes use of do-it-yourself potato gnocchi lined in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce with crispy fish cake. And basic kimchi-and-scallion pancakes include a Korean chive-and-white-truffle aioli.
The restaurant, almost double the dimensions of Sincere Grill, has 46 tabletop grills, together with 4 which might be constructed right into a bar counter for solo diners or a pair who don’t need an enormous desk. (There are additionally personal rooms for occasions.) The grilled meat menu facilities squarely round beef. A $47-per-person Seoul Prime “tour” gives a sampling of 4 completely different cuts of beef together with banchan (together with housemade kimchi), scallion salad, egg custard, and soybean brisket stew.
Seafood lovers can go for a two-tier $79 shellfish tower with lobster, Rappahannock oysters, and jumbo Gulf shrimp. The restaurant is wanting so as to add extra luxurious choices like caviar service and shaved truffles going ahead.
Seoul Prime additionally has an even bigger emphasis on the bar, serving basic cocktails infused with soju and different Korean substances. Co-owner Wan Bok Lee says they’ve introduced in a sommelier to assist construct out their wine cellar, including to the steakhouse vibe. In the meantime, a bar-specific meals menu features a galbi smash burger with smoked gouda and gochujang aioli in addition to bulgogi-topped fries with pickled Fresno peppers and crispy seaweed.
If you happen to’re in search of one thing extra conventional, head to Seoul Prime for its Korean “jung-sik” brunch. The $35-per-person prix-fixe choice features a entire unfold of aspect dishes with a selection of grilled meats, soup, and dessert.
Meals Editor
Jessica Sidman covers the individuals and developments behind D.C.’s food and drinks scene. Earlier than becoming a member of Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Meals Editor and Younger & Hungry columnist at Washington Metropolis Paper. She is a Colorado native and College of Pennsylvania grad.
